Study 2, part 2: T2 Subfields and Hormones Correlations
Shuying Yu and Caitlin Taylor
08/24/2022
Overview
This report provides exploratory and preliminary correlation analyses between sex hormones and T2 unretouched, raw hippocampal subfield data from the Healthy Aging Study sample that have completed some portion of the spatial navigation study.
Cleaning data steps included (T2 subfields):
Filter participants that have T2 subfield data from scan and completed spatial navigation behavior
Select sex hormone measures from when scan was conducted
Correct left and right volumes with TIV from T1 data
Average left and right volumes to get an average measure for each subfield region
Calculating Total Hippocampal Volume:
After left and right T2 subfields were corrected for TIV, sum up left and right total hipp (CA1, CA23, DG, SUB)
Average left and right volumes to get an average measure
Calculating Total MTL:
After left and right T2 subfields were corrected for TIV, sum up left and right MTL (CA1, CA23, DG, SUB, ERC, PHC, PRC)
Average left and right volumes to get an average measure
| Sex | n | Mean Age | SD Age | n | Mean Age | SD Age | n | Mean Age | SD Age | n | Mean Age | SD Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 50.47 | 3.31 | 16 | 50.19 | 3.17 | 50 | 50.08 | 3.12 | 35 | 50.11 | 3.01 |
| Male | 25 | 49.76 | 3.63 | 11 | 49.18 | 2.93 | 17 | 49.47 | 3.83 | 22 | 49.55 | 3.61 |
Above table shows the table of sample size and mean and standard deviation of age by sex for overall group who have completed spatial behavior and have a T2hipp scan.
All sample size for T2hipp x hormone correlations for women are listed in the table above. For men, because some participants did not have all hormones evaluated (e.g, only testosterone available), the sample size for the correlations for that hormone and with T1 hipp volume will be different.
For men, the accurate sample sizes would be:
LOOP: n = 10 DHEAS, n = 11 for SHBG and T
MAZE: n = 16 DHEAS, n = 17 for SHBG and T
DSP: n = 21 DHEAS, n = 22 for SHBG and T
Structural Distributions
Structure: Shapiro-Wilk’s test reveal that total hipp and MTL for overall and for women were not normally distributed. Hormone and subfield/volume associations for these subfields will be using Spearman rank correlations.
Subfields: Shapiro-Wilk’s test reveal that CA23 for men, and SUB overall and SUB for women were not normally distributed. Hormone and subfield/volume associations for these subfields will be using Spearman rank correlations.
Hormone Distributions
Shapiro-Wilk tests reveal that all six hormones violated normality in the overall and women group. Most hormones for women subgroup distributions were still significantly different from normal after log transformation, so Spearman rank correlations will be applied to these hormone and subfield and structure associations. For men, only SHBG violated normality so all subfield and structure correlations with this hormone in men will be spearman rank.
Behavioral Distributions
Shapiro-Wilk’s test reveal that MAZE accuracy for all and MAZE moves for overall, women groups were not normally distributed. DSP solution index for overall and women were also not normally distributed. Behavior and volume correlations will be Spearman rank
Total Hippocampal Volume
Structural Comparison
Box plot shows the women appear to have greater T2 hippocampal GMV than men (some as potential outliers).
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean Total Hipp Volume | SD Total Hipp Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 1.84 | 0.22 |
| Peri | 19 | 1.86 | 0.18 |
| Post | 18 | 1.77 | 0.19 |
| Sex | n | Mean Total Hipp Volume | SD Total Hipp Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 1.82 | 0.20 |
| Male | 25 | 1.71 | 0.16 |
Means and standard deviations of total hipp are displayed by reproductive status and by sex.
ANOVA results comparing T2 hipp GMV by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing GMV by sex was significant. Women (M = 1.824) have larger T2 hippocampal volume than men (M = 1.706) (t = 2.813, df = 48.545, p = 0.007).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman.
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except for SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error
All correlations are Spearman except for men (Pearson)
Degrees Traveled
All correlations are Spearman except for men (Pearson)
MAZE
Accuracy
All correlations are Spearman.
Number of Moves
All Spearman correlations except for men (Pearson). Higher total hipp GMV was marginally associated with higher number of moves made for pres (p = 0.07, Spearman).
DSP
Wayfinding Success
All correlations were Spearman except for men (Pearson). Larger T2 hipp GMV was marginally positively associated with wayfidning success for peris (p = 0.052, Spearman).
Solution Index
All correlations were Spearman except for men (Pearson). Larger T2 hipp GMV was marginally positively associated with solution index for posts (p = 0.08, Spearman).
MTL
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean MTL Volume | SD MTL Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 5.67 | 0.62 |
| Peri | 19 | 5.59 | 0.56 |
| Post | 18 | 5.65 | 0.62 |
| Sex | n | Mean MTL Volume | SD MTL Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 5.64 | 0.59 |
| Male | 25 | 5.32 | 0.52 |
Means and standard deviations of MTL are displayed by reproductive status and by sex.
ANOVA results comparing MTL by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing MTL by sex was significant. Women (M = 5.64) have larger MTL volume than men (M = 5.317) (t = 2.389, df = 43.172, p = 0.021).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman.
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
T2 Subfield Volume
CA1
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean CA1 Volume | SD CA1 Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 0.59 | 0.07 |
| Peri | 19 | 0.61 | 0.07 |
| Post | 18 | 0.57 | 0.07 |
| Sex | n | Mean CA1 Volume | SD CA1 Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 0.59 | 0.07 |
| Male | 25 | 0.54 | 0.06 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing CA1 subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing CA1 subfield by sex was significant. Women (M = 0.588) have larger CA1 volume than men (M = 0.543) (t = 2.946, df = 46.673, p = 0.005).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman.
Hormone Correlation by Men
Correlations are all Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
CA2/3
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean CA23 Volume | SD CA23 Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Peri | 19 | 0.25 | 0.04 |
| Post | 18 | 0.24 | 0.04 |
| Sex | n | Mean CA23 Volume | SD CA23 Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 0.25 | 0.04 |
| Male | 25 | 0.22 | 0.04 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing CA23 subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing CA23 subfield by sex was significant. Women (M = 0.246) have larger CA23 volume than men (M = 0.225) (t = 2.216, df = 42.672, p = 0.032).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations were Spearman
Hormone Correlation by Men
Correlations are all Spearman.
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
DG
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean DG Volume | SD DG Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 0.62 | 0.08 |
| Peri | 19 | 0.62 | 0.07 |
| Post | 18 | 0.60 | 0.07 |
| Sex | n | Mean DG Volume | SD DG Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 0.62 | 0.07 |
| Male | 25 | 0.59 | 0.07 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing DG subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing DG subfield by sex was not significant. Women (M = 0.617) do not have larger DG volume than men (M = 0.589) (t = 1.535, df = 40.036, p = 0.133).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
ERC
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean ERC Volume | SD ERC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 0.47 | 0.08 |
| Peri | 19 | 0.48 | 0.07 |
| Post | 18 | 0.43 | 0.05 |
| Sex | n | Mean ERC Volume | SD ERC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 0.46 | 0.07 |
| Male | 25 | 0.42 | 0.05 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing ERC subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing ERC subfield by sex was significant. Women (M = 0.463) have larger ERC volume than men (M = 0.421) (t = 2.993, df = 54.628, p = 0.004).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman.
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
PHC
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean PHC Volume | SD PHC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 1.71 | 0.17 |
| Peri | 19 | 1.63 | 0.21 |
| Post | 18 | 1.68 | 0.23 |
| Sex | n | Mean PHC Volume | SD PHC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 1.68 | 0.20 |
| Male | 25 | 1.57 | 0.22 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing PHC subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing PHC subfield by sex was not significant. Women (M = 1.676) do not have larger PHC volume than men (M = 1.575) (t = 1.88, df = 35.452, p = 0.068).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
PRC
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean PRC Volume | SD PRC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 1.65 | 0.38 |
| Peri | 19 | 1.62 | 0.32 |
| Post | 18 | 1.76 | 0.37 |
| Sex | n | Mean PRC Volume | SD PRC Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 1.68 | 0.36 |
| Male | 25 | 1.62 | 0.40 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing PRC subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing PRC subfield by sex was not significant. Women (M = 1.676) do not have larger PRC volume than men (M = 1.615) (t = 0.624, df = 34.604, p = 0.537).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
SUB
Structural Comparison
| Reproductive Status | n | Mean SUB Volume | SD SUB Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 23 | 0.38 | 0.05 |
| Peri | 19 | 0.38 | 0.04 |
| Post | 18 | 0.36 | 0.05 |
| Sex | n | Mean SUB Volume | SD SUB Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 60 | 0.37 | 0.05 |
| Male | 25 | 0.35 | 0.04 |
Means and standard deviations of the subfield are displayed by reproductive status and by sex
ANOVA results comparing SUB subfield by reproductive status was not significant.
T-test results comparing SUB subfield by sex was significant. Women (M = 0.374) have larger SUB volume than men (M = 0.349) (t = 2.513, df = 48.595, p = 0.015).
Hormone Correlation by Reproductive Status
All correlations are Spearman.
Hormone Correlation by Men
All correlations are Pearson except SHBG (Spearman)
Behavioral Correlations
LOOP
Position Error Degrees Traveled
MAZE
Accuracy Number of Moves
DSP
Wayfinding Success Solution Index
Summary
Hormones
Total hipp Volume and MTL
Sample included HAS participants who had a T2 hipp scan and completed spatial navigation behavior.
ANOVA results comparing total hipp volume and MTL by reproductive stage were not significant. T-test results comparing total hipp volume (p < 0.01) and MTL (p < 0.05) by sex were significant, with results showing women have larger volumes than men.
For total hipp volume, it was negatively correlated with estradiol for pres (p = 0.033, Spearman) and marginally positively correlated with FSH for peris (p = 0.07, Spearman).
There were no significant correlations between MTL and hormones observed.
Subfields
Sample included HAS participants who had a T2 hipp scan and completed spatial navigation behavior.
Subregion volumes for women and men were generally normally distributed, except for CA23 in men and SUB in women. ANOVA results comparing subfields by reproductive stage were all not significant. ANOVA results for ERC was marginally significant by reproductive stage (p = 0.087). T-test results comparing subfields by sex were all significant (at least p < 0.05) except for DG, PHC, and PRC, with results revealing that women larger volumes than men.
All hormones were skewed for overall and women groups, so hormone and volume correlations were Spearman rank correlations. All correlations for men were pearson except for those involving SHBG. CA23 correlations with hormones for men were all Spearman rank.
For estradiol, it was significantly negatively correlated with with DG for peris (p < 0.01, Spearman) and with SUB for pres (p = 0.044, Spearman). It was also marginally negatively associated with CA23 for pres (p = 0.07, Spearman).
For progesterone, it was marginally positively associated with ERC for posts (p = 0.053, Spearman).
For FSH, it was significantly negatively correlated with ERC for posts (p < 0.01, Spearman) and with SUB for posts (p = 0.031, Spearman). FSH is marginally negatively correlated with CA1 for pres (p = 0.07, Spearman) and posts (p = 0.07, Spearman) and with PHC for women as a group (p = 0.08, Spearman). FSH was also marginally positively correlated with CA23 for peris (p = 0.08, Spearman) and with ERC for pres (p = 0.07, Spearman).
For SHBG, it was significantly negatively correlated with ERC for posts (p < 0.01, Spearman). It was also significantly negatively correlated with PRC among women as a group (p = 0.038, Spearman) and for pres (p = 0.04, Spearman). SHBG was also marginally negatively correlated with SUB for women as a group (p = 0.07, Spearman).
For DHEAS, it was significantly negatively correlated with CA23 in women as a group (p = 0.01, Spearman).
For testosterone, it was marginally negatively correlated with CA1 for men (p = 0.065, Pearson).